Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) president René van der Linden in Moscow
Photo: Valery Melnikov
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Estonia Accuses PACE President of Dependence on Russia
Estonian parliament members Marko Mihkelson and Kristiina Ojuland have accused PACE president Rene van der Linden of partiality toward Russia and business interests there. Ojuland sent van der Linden an open letter accusing him of not defending democratic values and the interests of small countries, preferring instead a large “power” that does not meet Council of Europe requirements. Mihkelson held a press conference where he presented “undeniable” evidence of van der Linden's dependence on Russia. That evidence was translations into English of Russian articles about the PACE president.
Mihkelson, who, like Ojuland, is a member of the Estonian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, wrote on his blog after van der Linden visited Tallinn in the middle of last month that “Unfortunately in the last couple of years he [van der Linden] has distinguished himself in transparent support towards Russia. Whether this positioning may also be influenced by his family's asserted economic interests in Russia, that he understandably knows himself the best.” Van der Linden called cooperation with Russia one of PACE's strategic goals for the next decade ad criticized Estonia's treatment of its Russian-speaking minority while in Tallinn. He reacted sharply to suggestions that he had Russian business interests.
Mihkelson later pointed out that van der Linden is the chairman of the supervisor board of the European company Nobel House Holding, which is implementing a project in Vladimir Region. Much of Mihkelson's evidence seems disjointed, however. An Estonian parliament member explained to Kommersant that van der Linden received the post of PACE president in preference over Ojuland and Russian delegate Mikhail Margelov, from Pskov Region on the Estonian border, is a likely successor to Margelov. If Margelov is successful in his bid for the PACE presidency, Estonia will likely react negatively.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 12, 2007
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